The use of the Internet for political action by non-state dissident actors in the Middle East (originally published in November 2003)

First Monday ◽  
2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Sean McLaughlin
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Political Action ◽  
Muslim Brotherhood ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Islamic Reform ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Muslim Brotherhood ◽  
Use Of The Internet

The use of the Internet for political action by non-state dissident actors in the Middle East by W. Sean McLaughlin This paper examines how non-state dissident actors in the Middle East use the Internet for political action in the face of state-imposed constraints on Internet access. Non-state dissident actors have revisionist goals and the Internet offers certain advantages for accomplishing these political objectives. States seek to limit the effectiveness of these dissident objectives and can use various methods, such as limiting Internet infrastructure or imposing censorship constraints, in efforts to oppose Internet-based dissidence. In response, dedicated dissidents can find ways to overcome these state-imposed constraints and continue with their dissident activities. Based on this understanding, this paper develops a dynamic model for Internet-based dissidence and then applies it to three different case studies: The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and the Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia (MIRA). All three case study groups used the Internet in a surprisingly competent and sophisticated manner, overcoming the various state-imposed constraints on their activities. That non-state dissidents in the Middle East have successfully used the Internet for political dissidence may have important implications for the political landscape in the region.

scholarly journals Beginning On-Line Delphi Ethnographic Research: The BOLDER Method

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Informed Consent ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Reflecting Team ◽  
Delphi Methodology ◽  
The Face ◽  
On Line ◽  
Use Of The Internet

The use of the Internet to gather data, produce and report research has changed the face of the fields of education and research. This paper will present a method for combining electronic on-line media and Delphi methodology to begin the process of ethnographic research with participant inclusion, informed consent, data gathering by discourse facilitation, and preparation for coding. The use of a reflecting team by the research group provides impetus for second round responses by participants. Methods, format, a case study and an evaluation of the process will be presented.

scholarly journals The Internet´s role in the Bersih movement in Malaysia – A Case Study

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 60-70
Author(s):  
Melanie Radue
Keyword(s):  
Green Revolution ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Political Liberalization ◽  
Communication Processes ◽  
Technological Structure ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Government ◽  
Use Of The Internet

Everywhere in the media, people talk about the so-called “Twitter and Facebook revolution” in regard to the Green Revolution in Iran or other new social movements which demand democratization in their countries and use the Internet for communication and mobilization. Libertarian advocates of the Internet state that the Internet has democratizing effects because of its reputed egalitarian, open and free technological structure for communication processes. Especially in countries in which the media is under strict control by the government, these characteristics are emphasized as stimulation for political liberalization and democratization processes. This essay critically examines the alleged democratizing effect of the use of the Internet on the Malaysian society exemplified on the social movement Bersih. The Bersih movement demands free and fair elections in Malaysia, often described as an ethnocratic and “electoral authoritarian regime”. 141 The objective of this study is to demonstrate the dependency of such possible effects on context.

Repression of Islamists and Authoritarian Survival in the Arab World: A Case Study of Egypt

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Lachapelle
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Muslim Brotherhood ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
State Repression ◽  
New Approach ◽  
The Muslim Brotherhood ◽  
Authoritarian Survival

This chapter explores the causes of state repression against Islamist organizations in the Arab world. Advancing a rich literature on state repression, authoritarianism, and Islamist politics, it proposes a new approach that centers on the role of non-Islamist audiences for explaining the repression of Islamists. Specifically, the chapter argues that when society is divided between non-Islamists and Islamists, an autocrat can repress Islamists to signal a commitment to non-Islamists to protect them from perceived threats by Islamists. It provides supporting evidence from Egypt, which shows how large-scale repression directed at the Muslim Brotherhood after the coup of 2013 served to cultivate the support of non-Islamists.

Organizational Research Over the Internet

2004 ◽  
pp. 130-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Benjamin Porr ◽  
Robert E. Ployhart
Keyword(s):  
Informed Consent ◽  
Applied Research ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Organizational Research ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Use Of The Internet

This chapter presents a framework through which ethical Internet-based organizational research can be conducted. Organizational constraints that promote the use of the Internet for applied research are identified, followed by potential benefits and drawbacks. The chapter then discusses the ethical issues that must be considered when conducting Internet-based organizational research; these include concerns about privacy, confidentiality, anonymity, informed consent and providing a debriefing. A case study illustrates these issues, and the chapter concludes with directions for future research. Numerous tables and figures are used to serve as a quick reference for the key points of the chapter.

A Biographical Approach to the Study of Social Change in the Middle East: Abdullah Tariki as a New Man

1970 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Duguid
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Muslim Brotherhood ◽  
New Man ◽  
Army Officers ◽  
Biographical Approach ◽  
The Muslim Brotherhood ◽  
Large Sections

The need for social change has been recognized by most of the politically important forces in the Middle East today, but differences remain concerning its implementation. These differences are centered on the type of change and the rate at which it should take place. There are three basic social groups taking part in this conflict; the traditional elements of society, typified by organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood, many of the ruling families, and large sections of the peasant population; the ‘modern’ man of the liberal era such as evolutionary–liberalist politicians, doctors, landowners, bureaucrats, merchants, and the like; and the ‘modern’ men of the era of technology (material-scientific) such as army officers, agronomists, planners and industrialists.

A study of Internet usage in Nigerian universities: A case study of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria (originally published in February 2003)

First Monday ◽  
2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kofoworola Jagboro
Keyword(s):  
Academic Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Late 20Th Century ◽  
University System ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
Nigerian University ◽  
E Mail

The Internet is arguably one of the most significant technological developments of the late 20th century. However, despite the added benefits of this tool to learning, teaching and research, a number of problems still plague Internet connectivity and usage in the Nigerian University system. The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of utilization of the Internet for academic research at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Questionnaires were administered to postgraduate students spanning art and science based programmes. The results from the analysis of the responses showed that the use of the Internet ranked fourth (17.26 percent) among the sources of research materials. However, respondents who use the Internet ranked research materials (53.42 percent) second to e-mail (69.86 percent). The study concludes that the use of the Internet for academic research would significantly improve through the provision of more access points at Departmental and Faculty levels.

scholarly journals Al-Azhar University in the Events of the Arab Spring (Case of Egypt)

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 583-596
Author(s):  
Yurii Vitalevich Lashkhia
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Religious Education ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Arab Spring ◽  
Muslim Brotherhood ◽  
Official Document ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
The Muslim Brotherhood ◽  
The Arab Spring

Due to the comprehensiveness of Islam, the role of the “Islamic factor” in political processes in the Middle East and North Africa is great, while the nature of the manifestations of the “Islamic factor” largely depends among other things on the current state of modern religious educational institutions, including those serving as a forge of Islamic personnel today. One of the most prestigious universities in Islamic oikumene, giving religious education for Muslims from all over the world, is AlAzhar al-Sharif (the shorter Al-Azhar is more common). It was here that some famous thinkers studied, who further significantly contributed to the development of the so-called “political Islam”. This study is an attempt to clarify the role of Al-Azhar University and related Islamic scholars in the socio-political processes of the Middle East and North Africa. Conducting the research, the author largely turned to the sources of the Islamic religion (the Qur’an, Hadith), theological texts of a number of thinkers (for example, the interpretation of the Qur’an Rashid Rida), religious polemical works (the work of Sheikh Osama al-Azhari against the “Muslim Brotherhood” and other “Islamist” trends), documents compiled by the leadership of Al-Azhar; academic literature on related issues. The author came to the conclusion that the “Islamic factor” did not play a crucial role at the beginning of events, but vividly manifested itself subsequently. The actual suppression of Islam by secular dictators created a fertile ground for the acute discontent of believing citizens and activists of various movements who uphold a particular version of the Islamic political alternative. The most influential university in the Islamic world, Al-Azhar, in an official document, “Arab Spring”, indicated the possibility of a shift in despotic power, while emphasizing at the same time the inadmissibility of violent suppression of peaceful protest. Certain Azharite theologians were directly involved in the events of the “Arab Spring”, in particular, the passionate scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi, associated with the Muslim Brotherhood movement and graduated from Al-Azhar, as well as Sheikh Emad Effat, who died during the suppression of an unarmed speech 15 December 2011. Such activity of various Islamic forces in the political sphere is primarily due to the very nature of the Islamic tradition, which does not separate the “sacred” and “profane”.

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